Plants 30–70 cm. Roots fibrous or fusiform. Stems decumbent, rooting at lower nodes, unbranched or few-branched above. Leaves heteromorphic, lower petioles 1–10 cm; blade triangular-ovate, 3–7 × 2–5 cm, mostly 1-pinnate, rarely 2-pinnate; ultimate segments linear, 20–40 × 1–2 mm, rarely rhombic-ovate or lanceolate, 5–30 × 2–5 mm. Upper leaves sessile, 1-pinnate; pinnae linear, 10–40 × 1–3 mm. Umbels 2–4(–5) cm across, often leaf-opposed; peduncles 2–10 cm; bracts absent, or 1, linear; rays 3–12, 1.5–3 cm, unequal; bracteoles 3–8, linear or linear-lanceolate, 3–6 mm, unequal; umbellules 8–20-flowered; pedicels 1.5–4 mm. Calyx teeth ca. 0.5 mm. Styles ca. 2 mm, reflexed. Fruit ovoid, ca. 2 × 1.5 mm; dorsal and intermediate ribs filiform. Fl. May–Jul, fr. Jul–Aug.

Some authors consider both varieties conspecific with Oenanthe javanica (see the taxonomic note under that species).

Open forests, Moist shade under shrubs and trees, grassy valley slopes, marshlands, grassy places near water; 800–3000 m. Chongqing, Guizhou, Hubei, Sichuan, Taiwan, Xizang, Yunnan [India, Indonesia, ?Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Vietnam].